Here is what the pro-statehood Center for Puerto Rico Equality and Advancement (CPREA) had to say about President Obama’s Task Force on Puerto Rico’s Status report.
As the Report of the President’s Task Force on Puerto Rico’s Status makes clear once again, democracy at the national government level and full equality under the American flag is only achievable through statehood. Polls in Puerto Rico have shown pretty consistent growth in support for statehood. The 2008 elections gave Puerto Rico’s elected officials a mandate to enable a status choice that will lead to an end of the colonial status. It is time for that choice.
The Report of the President’s Task Force is detailed and comprehensive. It lays out many possible processes for resolving the question of the territory’s status. Most important, it should put an end to the debate about whether “Commonwealth” must be a territory status. The Obama Task Force agreed with past Federal administrations of both national political parties that under “Commonwealth” Puerto Rico remains subject to the broad authority of the Federal government—in which Puerto Rico has no votes—to govern unincorporated territories as it sees fit, limited only by the fundamental rights of individuals, and that Puerto Rico would remain subject to this authority under any “Commonwealth” arrangement.
The Popular Democratic Party’s dream of an “enhanced Commonwealth status,” one that would be permanent and end Federal territory governing authority is simply unachievable.
The leaders of the PPD need to decide if they want a Puerto Rico to continue as a territory without votes in its national government and equality for Puerto Ricans with other U.S. citizens or the territory should have the democracy, equality, and dignity that is only possible through nationhood or statehood – with statehood being the only status that offers this under the U.S. flag.
The Center for Puerto Rico Equality and Advancement (CPREA) calls upon the leaders of the PPD to accept the realities of the status options, stop trying to misinterpret the Report of the President’s Task Force to confuse people about its plain meaning, give up making impossible status proposals that delay resolution of the issue, and stop trying to impede the people of Puerto Rico from choosing their preference among possible statuses.
CPREA applauds the Task Force report for dissipating fears concerning Puerto Rico’s language and culture. As in other states of our union, Puerto Rico’s culture, language, and identity under statehood would be a part of the fabric that has made our Nation great. English would continue to play the same important role in Puerto Rico as it does today.
The Report of the Task Force should lead to a growth in the ranks of the statehood movement by burying myths about the status options as loyal American Puerto Ricans who have been misled by the PPD realize that the only way to obtain full democracy, equality, and security and, at the same time, to continue to enjoy our rich linguistic and cultural heritage is through statehood. This should lead to a majority of Puerto Ricans choosing statehood in a choice among real status options.
WE MUST AS A PEOPLE FREE OUR MINDS AND SOULS FROM THE USA “COLOINAL SLAVERY” MENTALITY! YA ES LA HORA MI GENTE.SLAVERY ENDED FOR PUERTORICANS TOO. WE HAVE NO HUMANS RIGTHTS OR CIVIL RIGHTS IN OUR OWN HOME LIKE IN THE USA. WE ARE TREATED LIKE “OTHERS” IN USA EVEN THOUGHT MANY<MANY OF US CONTINUE TO DIE IN USA WARS TO KEEP AMERICA FREE AND HAPPY!ENOUGH IS ENOUGH BASTA! NO SE PEUDE CON OBAMA! NO! SE PEUDE CON LOS RACIST BASTARDS GOP!!!
YA ES LA HORA! AHORA QUE? BASTA!!!
Eusebia, gracias por el comentario. Como usted sabe, estoy de acuerdo con usted. ¡VIVA PUERTO RICO LIBRE!
Very interesting that the CPREA calls for truth in the Statehood status option. The same holds true for the independence status option and/or any other option. The politicos, as usual, always make it harder for the people to decide by making all other options seem unattainable. This report does nothing more than push the statehood option and candy coats it. The truth is that the economics, social conditions, unemployment and the many other myriad of problems currently occuring on the island will ultimately have a direct affect on the peoples’ decision making. The peoples’ dependency is far too great at this point.
I think it is sad that they aren’t inviting other groups.
With due respect, the report is an attempt to maintain the colonial status. Obama should have never included the present status as an option for the future. A slave may not be able to select, choose or opt for continued slavery as his future choice. That is what the president did, he kept slavery as a choice and for that reason only, the report has no credibility and should end up in the trash dump.
I plan to interview these frauds.
Que barbaridad. dissipating fears concerning Puerto Rico’s language and culture.? What reality do they live in? in what states do the OVERWHELMING population speak Spanish? or any other language for that matter. Even in Hawaii the Major language is English. As of the 2000 Census, 73.44% of Hawaii residents age 5 and older speak ONLY English at home.
According to the 2008 American Community Survey, 74.6% of Hawaii’s residents over the age of five speak ONLY English at home. How much you want to bet that on top of not knowing Hawaiian these people know anything about Hawaiian culture? I doubt its only about luaus and hula girls. this all happened within 50 years of statehood for them. We refuse to let our culture and unique identity to be americanized and lost to history and stereotypes because you were too lazy to pay attention in Spanish class. PUERTO RICO NO SE VENDE
Puerto Rican spin politics at its worse.
Why don’t people realize actions speak louder than words. All the Statehood leaders of the past have been corrupted and misuse their power and money leaving PR in a worse condition than they found it. What’s going to stop them after statehood ? nothing. Just Billions of more dollars to steal from the people. They don’t care about the people, they don’t care about the culture.Just thieves and murderers. They just care about their money and their actions and fracasos in government have proven it time and time again. Back in the regime of Rossello he called a couple of corrupted officers who killed 2 independentistas “heroes”, heroes of what? This false democracy and police state. Fortuño and his friends talk all this crap about how anyone who doesn’t agree with them are either idiots communists or socialists. The only people I see acting like them is the administration of Fortuño and his buddies who condone the police state and censoring and trying to shut up the protesters of Puerto Rico. What happened to all that bull spit about equality and freedom? Don’t accept this crap that they give you. They have lied before and will lie again. Fortuño eres un FRACASO
Fortuño = MAJOR FAIL